Thursday, May 31, 2018

I
love Jessica Schoech! Jessica is the hardworking mastermind behind the
ultra-successful annual events in Los Angeles, the bustling Vegan Street Fair Los Angeles and the more intimate Vegan Street Fair LA Nights, both of which celebrate the fabulous plant-based food available in the LA-area and
beyond. In just a short time, Jessica has helped to breathe new life into the vegan
festival scene, using her love for theme parks to help create a more streamlined
experience for festival-goers, but all along emphasizing the joy, sense of
celebration and inclusiveness that has become deeply-rooted to the Vegan Street Fair brand.

What I especially love about Jessica is when she is not neck-deep in event
organizing – and, honestly, even when she is – she is one of the most consistent,
engaged and passionate voices for building a more inclusive, less bigoted vegan
movement. Basically Jessica Schoech is awesome and I am honored to feature her
as this week’s Vegan Rock Star.

1. First of all, we’d love to hear your
“vegan evolution” story. How did you start out? Did you have any early
influences or experiences as a young person that in retrospect helped to pave
your path?

My
first foray into veganism was when I was a personal xrainer in NYC at the age
of 24. One of the regular clients and I would chat often. He was wise and maybe
10 years my senior but we always struck up interesting conversations about
spirituality, fitness, wellness, and every so often, he’d bring up veganism. It’s
so odd to think about it now but back then I remember thinking, “Oh no… that’s
just too far.” Everything else about him was spot on and perfect but that was “the
line”. Ridiculous to think about now, right? I happened to pick up Skinny Bitch on his recommendation and as
I read it cover to cover, I remember thinking, “Oh these women are vegan? That’s
too extreme. I’ll go pescetarian.”

So I was pescetarian for about 3 years until I starting eating other animals
again and it wasn’t until one of my best friends from high school, Christina,
decided to go vegan that I was intrigued for the second time. I attempted it
for a week and the second I screwed up with Jello - honestly, I didn’t know Jello
was animal bones at the time! - I just said forget this and went back to eating
animals.

The final straw was a second wedding anniversary trip to SeaWorld in 2011 when
I swam with the dolphins. I came home, posted the photos to Facebook, and a
friend who wasn’t even vegan said something along the lines of “You know those
animals are enslaved in there… right?” And I couldn’t wait to prove him wrong.
At the time, I was drinking the koolaid and believed SeaWorld to be doing great
things. I spent hours on the computer trying to find evidence to the contrary
and lo and behold, I proved him right. Once images from Taiji and the
documentary “The Cove” started filling my screen, I just couldn’t contain my
sadness and anger any longer. Through tears, I called my husband and said, “I
never want another living being to ever have to suffer for me again.” And that
was it. I have been vegan ever since.

2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again:
how could someone have talked to you and what could they have said or shown you
that could have been the most effective way to have a positive influence on you
moving toward veganism?

Honestly,
I believe that change must be intrinsic. The only way for someone to have
gotten through to me would have been to lead by example without being overly
preachy about their vegan lifestyle. I know that isn’t everyone’s way or how
they became vegan, but for me, because it was my choice and no one guilted me
into it or made me feel ashamed over something I didn’t understand yet, I think
its what made it click for me in the long run.

3. What have you found to be the most effective way to communicate
your message as a vegan? For example, humor, passion, images, etc.?

Evidently,
spurring intrinsic change is exactly how I am best effective with my advocacy
through Vegan Street Fair. I want to be that person that invites
non-vegans into the conversation with an open door rather than a wall. That’s
how I have built Vegan Street Fair since day 1. I always say that VSF is an
invitation to non-vegans to explore veganism in a non-intimidating way. I
believe that my role in veganism is to make veganism not only accessible by all
classes and races but to also make it accessible by being non-judgmental and
recognizable. Which is why you’ll find burgers, fries, donuts, cupcakes, music,
entertainment and good vibes at my events. I want everyone to feel welcome to
join the movement.

4. What do you think are the biggest strengths of the vegan
movement?

The
biggest strength in the vegan movement is its potential for connecting all of
the dots towards living in a world of consistent anti-oppression. If one has
not yet faced the reality that marginalized communities are being oppressed
currently and historically, then perhaps once one sees how animals are treated
through a vegan lens, they can piece together how all oppression is linked and
how sexism, racism, classism, ableism, fatphobia, xenophobia, etc. are also
pieces of the same oppressive fabric along with animal exploitation. I can only
hope that this is the direction we are all headed down.

5. What do you think are our biggest
hindrances to getting the word out effectively?

Honestly?
Lacking context about pro-intersectionality is what keeps us from getting the
word out effectively. If we were to sit with how hurtful it is to fat shame,
food shame, discriminate against, and further oppress already marginalized
communities, then I think veganism would be easier for us to promote as a
whole. The current problem is that most of us are not putting forth enough
effort to dismantle systems of oppression within our own activism so we lose
people right off the bat when we intend to reach out to them instead. For
example, when we make veganism into a cure-all diet for a wide range of
diseases and mental issues, we are doing the movement a disservice because that
simply isn’t true for everyone. Someone once told me that any BODY can be a
compassionate BODY. That has stuck with me for years. If we aim to make someone
feel bad or ashamed of their body or their circumstance - be it being impotent,
fat, poor, disabled, etc.- then we lose them to our cause immediately.
Typically, mainstream vegan organizations use these tactics to pull people into
the vegan movement but what they fail to understand is that it pushes people IN
those circumstances to want to run far, far away from our cause. To me, the
lack of understanding food access, systemic oppression, wealth disparity,
racism, sexism, and body positivity is what we are lacking as a movement in
order to get our message across more effectively. [Ed. note: I never do this, but hear, hear, Jessica!]

6. All of us need a “why vegan” elevator pitch. We’d love to hear
yours.

We
are on this planet to live harmoniously with each other and mother Earth.
Taking life, exerting power over the defenseless, and living in cognitive
dissonance at all times is the opposite of harmony. The animals need us. The
planet needs us. Future generations need us. If you can eat the same foods you
ate without causing harm to a living being using textures and seasonings and
innovative cooking techniques…what do you lose in the long run making the
switch? And what do you GAIN? I venture to guess that a person would lose a
huge weight off their shoulders and gain perspective about our
interconnectedness with the planet and its inhabitants. Win-win.

7. Who are the people and what are the books, films, websites and
organizations that have had the greatest influence on your veganism and your
continuing evolution?

8. Burn-out is so common among vegans:
what do you do to unwind, recharge and inspire yourself?

Lots
of vegan food, friends, and time to work on my passion projects like my events.
Immersing myself in the work rather than debating folks on line or arguing in
person actually helps alleviate burn out and for that I am grateful.

9.
What is the issue nearest and dearest to your heart that you would like others
to know more about?

Homelessness. I think its important to keep in mind
that while being vegan reduces our use of resources on the planet, there is
still more work top be done while people go hungry on the streets. I have made Chilis on Wheels, a vegan meal
distribution for those in need, a beneficiary of funds from every single event
we host for this very reason. We can care about animals and our fellow humans
at the same time.

10.
Please finish this sentence: “To me, being vegan is...”

…a way to connect myself to the world and her
inhabitants without constantly taking from it or them. Animals are here with
me, not for me so really, being vegan is simply treating them as I would want
to be treated.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

There are some in the vegan community who denigrate anything but vegan education
as “single-issue campaigns” or SICs but I am not one of them. I – and Vegan
Street – appreciate everyone who is trying to build a more compassionate world.
I know that if I were being used and abused by these “side issue” industries, I
would want people standing up for me. Nicole
Arciello, Vice President of the non-profit Horseracing Wrongs, is an example of
an animal advocate with an organization that exposes the largely hidden
cruelties inflicted on the innocent souls brutalized by this multi-billion
dollar industry, but also connects the dots to the fact that these horses –
even expensive thoroughbreds – are sent to slaughter when they are no longer
profitable, often to be sold as meat in overseas markets. With thousands of horses
killed on and off tracks due to the exposure to injuries and punitive financial
realities of horseracing, the hidden reality is these vulnerable beings live
short, difficult lives until they are dispatched of and new horses are cycled
in. Horseracing is not glamorous and it’s not victimless.

Enter Nicole Arciello and Horseracing Wrongs. Horseracing Wrongs, founded in
2012, pulls back the curtain on what people seem to think is a harmless
industry, educates and advocates on behalf of those gentle souls exploited,
abused and killed by horseracing interests. Based in Albany, NY, Horseracing Wrongs holds a
series of at least six protests at Saratoga Race Course each summer. They are currently assisting protests in six states in addition to their protests in New York state and are sponsoring a
protest at the Belmont Stakes, the
third leg in the Triple
Crown, on June 9th and
are currently planning their protest schedule at the Saratoga Race Course, the
first happening on July 21st. In addition to handling the day-to-day
operations of Horseracing Wrongs, Nicole is the co-founder of Albany Animal Rights
(meet-up info here), is a vegan
culinary instructor and studied plant-based nutrition at eCornell. She’s
basically awesome! Contact
her, find her personal page on Instagram, along with
Horseracing Wrongs on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram. I am honored
to feature Nicole Arciello of Horseracing Wrongs as this week’s Vegan Rock
Star.

1.
First of all, we’d love to hear your “vegan evolution” story. How did you start
out? Did you have any early influences or experiences as a young person that in
retrospect helped to pave your path?

My vegan evolution began when I started having low-blood sugar problems. After
seeing doctors and having tests, I was sent to a dietician. She gave me a
two-hour eating schedule, consisting of two carbohydrate and two protein
servings. Needless to say, the protein servings were mostly meats and cheeses
and (surprise!) I didn’t feel better. I also was never a big meat-eater. At a
meal, I would take a small piece of meat on my plate and load up on the sides,
pasta, potatoes, etc. I began doing my own research and found that protein with
fiber will keep your blood sugar more stable. And I quickly discovered that was
beans. Here is where the real magic happened - about a week in, eating beans
and feeling like a normal person finally, I was telling a friend and she gave
me the book Skinny Bitch. I took it
home and read it immediately. What happened was amazing; the first chapter was
humorous and full of swear words, then the second chapter exposed the
factory-farming industry. Wow. I went vegetarian on the spot and there was no
looking back. I knew I was already feeling better, and I knew I couldn’t
contribute to the suffering of animals – it was easy. I went back to the dietitian
thinking she would not approve of my new vegetarian lifestyle, but she
disclosed that she had been a vegetarian for 11 years as she ripped up my
eating plan and created a new one. Within a month, I was healthy and those
blood sugar problems were gone. Because I didn’t know how to cook vegetables or
really what to eat, I went to the library and checked out every vegetarian
cookbook I could find. I also found vegan cookbooks and because I had an egg
allergy, these were my favorite books; I learned how to bake without eggs and
the funny thing about vegan cookbooks is that many make things easy because
they want you to be vegan! They also talk about all of the reasons to be vegan.
I couldn’t overlook my contribution to the suffering in the dairy industry and
there was no longer a reason to. I had vegan days, then vegan weeks without
even realizing it, so I just had to tell my friends so we could start choosing
restaurants that I could easily eat at.hat
is what took the longest, dealing with my non-veg friends, but nine year ago, I
called everyone (including my mom) and told them that I was now vegan and I
explained what that meant and why I was doing it: for the animals.

I did have an early
experience(s) that came to me as my veganism took shape. I remember while
riding around town with my parents here in upstate New York, seeing dead
animals on the side of the road and wondering why they were just left there. Why
wasn’t it someone’s job to go around every day to pick up the squirrels and
raccoons and give them a proper burial? Eight-year-old me knew that dead humans
wouldn’t be abandoned on the shoulder of the road. It didn’t make sense to me. Those
thoughts came back to me as I realized that all animals, human and non-human,
are exactly the same.

2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again: how
could someone have talked to you and what could they have said or shown you
that could have been the most effective way to have a positive influence on you
moving toward veganism?

I didn’t know any
other vegans until I was vegan for about six months. I knew a couple
vegetarians, and I was always asking what they ate, but I wish they told me why
they made the choice they did. Even the person who loaned me Skinny Bitch was neither vegetarian nor
vegan. Of course, I wish someone had told me sooner.

3.
What have you found to be the most effective way to communicate your message as
a vegan? For example, humor, passion, images, etc.?

Cooking classes! And protesting single-issue causes! I tell everyone I
encounter that I am vegan; I work this into every conversation, everywhere. I
stared teaching vegan cooking classes at libraries in my area and after the
first one had 87 people register, I realized that people are interested to see
what this vegan stuff is all about! After a few library classes, which are
mostly demos (with lots of samples), I sent a proposal for a four-part
Introduction to Vegan Cooking to a local school district’s continuing education
program.They accepted my proposal the
following day! My classes are a mix of demo, hands-on and lecture, and I give
my students a free tour of Whole Foods as a bonus. I use humor to make the
classes entertaining, and I use kindness to answer every one of their
questions.

Then, of course our
work at Horseracing Wrongs and our protests here at Saratoga Race Course. Our protests
are peaceful and we welcome anyone to join us. We have over 75 advocates at our
protests each summer, and last summer we had over 100 at our final protest for
the season. While most of the advocates are vegan (we have a large vegan
community here in NY’s Capital Region), many are not – when they start out,
that is. We have found that the non-vegans who join us start asking questions
about veganism immediately. They soon realize that most of us are vegan and
that they are protesting the use and abuse of one species and that there is a
connection there. Our group leads with kindness in every way, and we help
people transition without judgment. As a result, our vegan family keeps
growing.

4.
What do you think are the biggest strengths of the vegan movement?

I think the single biggest strength of the vegan movement is that the word
vegan isn’t foreign anymore. There are vegan products virtually everywhere and
all sorts of information readily accessible on the internet. In short, it’s
easier than ever to go vegan!

5. What do you think are our biggest
hindrances to getting the word out effectively?

Judging and shaming. I think we need to remember what our evolution looked like
and ask ourselves if we would be vegan now if a vegan shamed us or yelled at us
for eating animals. While I believe there is no time to waste in relieving
animal suffering, it’s counter-productive to be an angry vegan. This also
applies to vegan-on-vegan treatment, too. It can cause vegans to stop actively
trying to further the cause if they are being judged or shamed as well. People
need to help people help animals. It’s the only way.

6.
All of us need a “why vegan” elevator pitch. We’d love to hear yours.

I’m vegan for the animals. If you love
animals, then I urge you to look deeper. If you could save one being from
suffering would you? You can save thousands if you start today.

7.
Who are the people and what are the books, films, websites and organizations
that have had the greatest influence on your veganism and your continuing
evolution?

“Earthlings.”It was what put me over
the tipping point.I prepared myself
(with a deep breath) and sat down and watched it.I use that as a tool for people who are
there, but need a little more.I had one
woman cry just telling her the title.She got it - “Earthings,” that we are all the same.

8. Burn-out is so common among vegans: what
do you do to unwind, recharge and inspire yourself?

I’m so happy this question is here because self-care is so important and so
hard for each of us to grasp and embrace. Being immersed in a selfless cause,
there is a tendency to feel guilty when we take time for ourselves. But it is
essential to the cause! I take regular social media breaks. Some are a 24-hour
period, or I just limit to “business,” meaning I just check the HW accounts and
not newsfeeds or any other notifications that do not need immediate attention.
I get together with vegan friends a lot and we eat good food and try to talk
about other things happening in our lives. And lastly, exercise. A run, for me,
clears my mind and reduces stress. I change my routine up and I also get
together with friends to walk and talk. It’s those intimate one-hour walks and
talks that are the best medicine!

9. What is the issue nearest and dearest to your heart that you would like
others to know more about?

Horseracing. Growing up near one of the country’s most elite racetracks, it was
the summer thing to do. Go to the races. When I went vegan I knew that I
shouldn’t attend anymore, and I didn’t, but I really didn’t know much else. When
I met up with Patrick Battuello, founder and President of Horseracing Wrongs, he
was busy uncovering the cruelty behind what is called the “Sport of Kings.” I
had to be a part of educating people about the thousands of horses killed each
year for gambling.I mean, greyhound
racing is almost dead, but why is it that horseracing is so widely accepted?
It’s a big misconception to the general population that racehorses are worth
millions of dollars. They are not. They are traded and bought and sold, whipped
to perform and regularly dying – 2,000 each year – for $2 bets. Even worse,
over 15,000 recently “retired” thoroughbreds are brutally and violently
slaughtered every year. We have to stop this. It became my mission to take my
protesting experience and apply it to Saratoga and to turn Patrick’s blog into a non-profit so we
could empower and assist advocates all over the country.

10. Please finish this
sentence: “To me, being vegan is...”

To me, being vegan is
love. I believe we need to love animals, ourselves and others.Kindness breeds kindness, and I believe we
are all in this together, humans and non-humans alike; we need to spread that
love to everyone. All beings.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Ellen Jaffe Jones is just one of my favorite people, a powerhouse
of vitality, enthusiasm, confidence and an infectious passion for vegan outreach. She also happens to be one of the
most inspiring people I know, proving to the world that we can age without getting
old. At 65, Ellen is a prolific author and
a high-achieving athlete, motivating people around the world with her passion
for living her best life and encouraging the same joie de vivre in others. I am
honored to feature Ellen Jaffe Jones as this week’s Vegan Rock Star.

1. First of all, we’d love to hear your “vegan evolution” story. How did you
start out? Did you have any early influences or experiences as a young person
that in retrospect helped to pave your path?

My aunt died of breast cancer in our home when I was 5. She had come home from
the hospital to die and suffered a painful, agonizing death. I remember my
relatives crying and wailing. It was traumatic. My cousin, a year older than
me, was left motherless and has suffered all her life as a result.

I almost died of a colon blockage when I was 28. It was more painful than
natural childbirth three times. The ER docs said they’d never seen a blockage
so large and that I would need to be on meds the rest of my life. It was the
same year my sister developed breast cancer and I thought, “I’m way too young
to be on any medicine the rest of my life.” I was a TV investigative reporter
and figuring out the truth about food became the investigative reporting job of
my life.

I ran to health food store and read all 5 books on fiber, because that’s all
there was then. My mom and my other sister would go on to get breast cancer. I
was the only adult female without. We became part of the original Myriad
Genetics breast cancer gene studies. I drove my sister’s blood samples to the
airport where it was flown in a refrigerated container back to the Nevada
research site. They wanted to exhume dead bodies of other relatives. My family
didn’t approve that. The results of the study developed the now routine genetic
testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes. Since only 10% of all
breast cancer is genetic, geneticists have told me that 2 of the 4 cases in my
family were environmentally triggered because they were late in life.

As is the case with many women my age, I went macrobiotic first, then
vegetarian, and as the writings of Drs. Neal Barnard and John McDougall
surfaced, then vegan. When I became pregnant, again as was often case in my
era, we were told our unborn children needed whey protein for brain
development. I was also told to do some things differently or I would become
like everyone else in my family who by then, had all developed heart disease,
diabetes and eventually, Alzheimer’s. I began to think I had been born into the
sickest family in America. As the youngest of 3 daughters, I spent my childhood
in hospitals for weeks at a time watching relatives suffer and die. I kept
thinking that there must be a better away.

I often get asked, “Why do you run?” The answer always: I run from disease. I
had been told that breastfeeding helps to prevent breast cancer. Since my
sister had breastfed her 4 children 6 months each, I figured I would have to do
it a lot longer if I stood a chance of beating the odds. I became a La Leche
League leader, the volunteer international non-profit that takes the middle of
the night calls, “my baby won’t nurse.” I would make house calls to help new
moms and newborns, and lead monthly meetings on how to breastfeed. I was asked
to speak at national conferences on how to balance a career and motherhood. As
the lights started going off about how our own species specific milk was the
best for our brain and body development, I began to raise the question of the
why La Leche League cookbooks were full of meat and cows’ milk recipes. “We
can’t mix causes,” I was told. “Breastfeeding is controversial enough.” Indeed
it was. I lived in St. Louis, where a woman was arrested in a shopping mall
parking lot for breastfeeding.

I served veggie burgers at school and ate vegetarian, then vegan again when I
divorced and was on my own. As a TV reporter, I attended the St. Louis Animal Rights Team
meetings. I arranged news coverage when I could, but saw how male managers
would only give AR issues coverage when PETA was protesting in faux furs and
little coverage at fur stores in January. I boycotted circuses with my babes in
arms, literally in baby carriers. As it comes full circle, ever since I’ve been
on the vegfest circuit, I’ve been begging my St. Louis START friends I haven’t
seen in 20 years to organize one. It’s finally happening this August, and I’m honored that
they’ve chosen the hometown girl to speak. In 1986, a St. Louis newspaper did a
story showing the beans and grains on my kitchen counter with the headline, “TV
Consumer Reporter Wants to Open Healthy Fast Food Chain.” They quoted me, “I’m
not really a health nut.” But I totally was that and was always on the
defensive, reacting to the label my family had already given. I was viewed as
the black sheep by some. One relative made fun of my apple crisp. It was a fine
morning years later to see PCRM using that same recipe from one of my books on
their website for a Thanksgiving menu. Four of my cousins, seeing what happened
in our family, have now gone vegan.

2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again: how
could someone have talked to you and what could they have said or shown you
that could have been the most effective way to have a positive influence on you
moving toward veganism?

If more of the medical information and research was available then, it would
have been a no-brainer. There are so many movies and books available now that
weren’t then. When doctors or nurses tell you that if you don’t consume whey
protein during pregnancy, your babies will have brain damage, that was tough.
One thing I share now that gets attention. Women who used to beat me like crazy
10 years go in races aren’t even running anymore. They’re all meat eaters and
they’ve told me “I just can’t run anymore because of my hip (fill in the
blank…knee, ankle, toe) from arthritis.” Well-documented research now shows
that meat-eaters get arthritis. Animal protein inflames the joints. A vegan
diet, known for its alkaline, anti-inflammatory properties keeps aging joints
well-lubricated and functioning. More and more senior athletes tell me at races
now they have become vegan for this reason. Whatever gets you there.

3. What have you found to be the most effective way to communicate your message
as a vegan? For example, humor, passion, images, etc.?

Writing and speaking. Telling my story, which I knew early on was pretty rare,
any way I can. I was known during my career at Smith Barney as a “marketing
maven.” I focused on socially responsible investing and helping clients avoid
companies that tested on animals. I told my story there. I was such an oddball
in the Morton’s Steakhouse crowd, colleagues shared they thought I must be
working as an undercover reporter for “60 Minutes.” I have been a pretty
average runner since I began making lifestyle changes at 28. When I moved to
Florida, I started competing again and discovered that many meat eaters my age,
as I mentioned earlier, were developing arthritis. Much to my surprise, I
started placing in my age group, something I’d never done decades before. My
pace was fast enough that I got asked to be an assistant high school girl’s
track and field coach. I had been a trained PCRM (Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine) Cancer
Project cooking instructor and brought food to workouts. The kids liked the
food so much they asked me to do classes in my home to teach their parents how
to cook vegan.

At Smith Barney, I began thinking that nobody had ever crunched the numbers on
every single recipe in a cookbook. In 2008, I began tracking prices as I had as
a consumer reporter tracking the Consumer Price Index. The idea of Eat
Vegan on $4 a Day was born. Because I was a first-time author, I was
turned down for an entire year before my publisher said “yes.” We have now done
six books, with a seventh in production. People ask me, “How do you crank out a
book every year?” Easy, I say. I used to write, shoot, produce and edit six
stories a day in Des Moines TV. A book a year is a luxury.

I’m always brainstorming new myths to bust in my books. I also say that
#runningismyactivism, as I like to hashtag. I spent a bit of money to produce
some very bright, run-friendly, moisture-wicking shirts with my book covers on
them. At races, runners would come up to me and stare at the “Eat Vegan on $4 a
Day” cover on my shirt and say, “Right…” Or “How?” I saw that it was an
opportunity to engage others. I started selling my books at races, and then a
few race directors asked me to table at the post-race parties just to offer an
antidote to the bacon races and food. Yes, there are “Bacon 5Ks.” Drives me crazy.
I then started training and qualified (not easy to do) for the National Senior
Games. I ranked nationally in sprinting in 2013, and did really well in 2017
placing 3rd in the USW65-69 4x100 meter relay 5th in the 800M, 7th in the 1500
and 400M. I wore my “Eat Vegan” shirt at Nationals, and am meeting more
athletes who tell me they too, are vegan now. I also have “decorated” my
veganmobile with the largest magnets Vistaprint has to offer. Each magnet is
one of my catchy book covers that my publisher designed. Every time I’m out,
someone stops and asks if I’m a catering service. Next life. But I do sell
books out of my trunk that way. ;)

4. What do you think are the biggest
strengths of the vegan movement?

Our growing numbers and appealing to the good in us all. As Anne Frank said,
“In spite of everything, people are really good at heart.” The power of social
media for sure. Every time I posted the powerful short clip, “Dairy is Scary,”
I would get several people commenting under the video, “OK, that did it. Never
going back.” There are so many great videos and movies out there now that don’t
lie. Once those images are part of our brain and hearts, we hopefully don’t
ever go back. Research suggests that those of us who go vegan for the animals
tend to not revert as much as those who chose veganism for health. But often,
people who become vegan for health do connect the dots to animals and the
environment. However we get there, it’s all good. Younger members of our
movement are our future. Young people grew up in the YouTube generation, so
those numbers are growing. The videos of the youngest children connecting with
their earliest feelings of compassion is helping older generations to reconnect
with those lost, beautiful feelings. The videos of the worst kind of animal
abuse are out there, too. You can’t turn your head and pretend you didn’t see.
It’s hard to stick your head in the sand these days if you are open to
watching.

5. What do you think are our biggest hindrances
to getting the word out effectively?

Money. “60 Minutes” and other news magazine shows have done stories on the
powerful meat/dairy lobbies that pay big PR firms to get their propaganda out.
The most annoying to me was as a running coach/personal trainer, I got invited
one year to a conference where a seminar was offered, “Marketing Chocolate Milk
to Children: The Ideal Recovery Drink.” I checked the Dairy Council’s website
and they blatantly said that this was their current campaign. I have crossed
finish lines where the Dairy Council has provided free milk cartons to every
finisher. Gag! The meat/dairy industry stands to lose lots of money in this
war. As we are learning about our US election process, big money is paid to try
to use propaganda to sway the masses without disclosure of the source or who
paid for the indoctrination attempts.

These are scary times and as with everything, I recommend sticking to reliable,
truly “fair and balanced” media outlets that have been doing great reporting
jobs for decades. We also need to recognize that we come to the table with
different agendas. A little more singing of “Kumba Ya” is in order so that we
don’t conquer and divide with all of our different messages. The meat and dairy
industries would love nothing more for us to implode over some of these
disagreements. The animals don’t have time for us to figure out some of the
minutia that consumes our daily arguments. Pick battles carefully.

6. All of us need a “why vegan” elevator
pitch. We’d love to hear yours.

05 ride: “It’s best for your health, the health of the planet and environment.”
:15-:30 ride: Adding to that, read The
China Study, watch “Forks Over Knives” and “What the Health,” or read
anything by the most respected vegan doctors. We know so much more now with all
the technology and research. If you need any help developing your athletic or
sports program, join my vegan runners page or message me.” If it is a running
or other appropriate venue, I’ll often say, “I’m a nationally ranked sprinter
and have placed in 134 (or whatever the current number is) 5Ks or longer for my
age group ‘just on plants,’ and I’m 65. Sometimes I’ll flex my biceps and say,
“Does it look like I have a protein deficiency? Do you know anyone who has
one?” At this point, the reaction always is some form of “wow.” I have wrestled
with using my body and health to make my point. But in doing cooking classes, I
learned that many people, especially as we age, get desperate on their
deathbeds and are focused on dealing with the kinds of ills and issues that
going vegan can really help. The truth is, I’m always looking for ways into
people’s hearts and minds. I happen to be OK at running in a running community
where the meat and dairy industries have paid heavily to poison minds. We all
should use our passions, time and strengths to fight this uphill battle.

7. Who are the people and what are the
books, films, websites and organizations that have had the greatest influence
on your veganism and your continuing evolution?

Ruth Heidrich and her books have been my
athletic role model. She’s overcome so much. I have the deepest admiration for Dr. Neal Barnard who
is president of Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine. I heard him speak in St. Louis in the early days and
knew he had a powerful message and delivery. After I left TV, I was delighted
that he took me up on my offer to do media training for his staff and other health
care professionals. I was surprised at his openness, humility and incredible,
endless ability to listen to others and help them with their issues related to
veganism. He would bike to the office at dawn and still to this day works
tirelessly at everything he does. There are way too many to mention, but the
usual cast: Any books, movies, and videos about or done by Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Greger and nutritionfacts.org, and T. Colin Campbell’s The
China Study, “Forks Over Knives” “Earthlings,” “Vanishing of the Bees,”
“Peaceable Kingdom.” Dr. Joel Kahn, the
cardiologist I invited to write a few medical chapters for my Vegan
Sex book, is also doing a great job of talking about the research
showing the lower body/upper body blood flow connection. I wrote after
experiencing a lifelong history of partners who had erectile dysfunction,
followed by a vegan who was totally the opposite, that ED is the precursor to
heart disease, and what’s good for the heart is good for other parts.

As a general rule, I’m careful not to recommend websites or individuals who
trying too hard to sell things. While it’s important, if possible, to make a
living doing your passion related to veganism, if it’s too hard a sell, like
with anything, the public thinks you’re selling snake oil. At a recent vegfest,
the booth next to me had someone yelling, “Coconut water…hydrate or die!” Two
days before, Dr. Greger had just released his video complete with research, as
always, saying water was every bit as good, and certainly way cheaper than
coconut water. Generally, if you eat the whole plant, or part of the plant in
its natural form, you don’t need to spend money on some processed form of it or
donate to huckster who is looking for a fast buck. Generally, vegan websites
and vendors are awesome. But do your research and ask, as we were trained in
reporting to do, “what’s really being sold here? Who is making money and why?”

There
is also a current controversy about mailing lists. With the collapse of
Facebook from 20,000 who used to see posts to now, 20, if you’re lucky, content
providers are relying more on their email distribution lists. They ask others
to share mailing lists. You have to have a “large enough list” to qualify for others
to share their lists with you. It’s making for some strange bedfellows
excluding great messages with smaller lists and including some flimflammers who
have never spoken on the lecture circuit but are awesome at high-pressure
sales. I have been encouraged to “partner” with some of these folks to increase
my sales. I won’t do it if the message isn’t right. Residual reporter’s
righteous indignation, I guess. I was never in this for the money. That makes a
huge difference.

8.
Burn-out is so common among vegans: what do you do to unwind, recharge and
inspire yourself?

I have spent way too many decades getting radiated on airplanes. Recent events
emphasize what most frequent flyers experience: diverted, cancelled flights,
turbulence or sudden drops where you’re pretty sure you’re gonna die, and the
stress of flying in general. I hate it more and more. Despite a flawless immune
system on the ground, when I fly, I often get what authors call, “plane flu.”
It’s that hacking, sneezing person next to you you can’t turn away from in
time. Start the clock ticking and 72 hours out, you had whatever that person
had. I love what I do, so I try never to whine. But I think few understand how
grueling travel is. My publisher says most authors are introverts and hate to stand
at his table all day. I was shocked to find that most authors speak, sign books
and leave. I’ve always thought that since my publisher paid my way, I needed to
earn my airfare and stay at his table to help sell books. Not to mention
getting the messages out. As environmentalist author of Comfortably Unaware, Dr. Richard Oppenlander says, we should have
been vegan yesterday for the environment. And my add, for the animals and our
health. I know that the world we are handing to my daughters and their generation
is in dire straits. But too much negativity and pessimism won’t do anyone any
good either. I try to go to the beach once or twice a week when not on the
road. I’ve been reading lots about negative ions found around moving water,
which are positive influences on humans. I also believe we can’t say we’re
environmentalists unless we are out there in nature, observing what animals
need from us. And of course, running. As one of my fave shirts says, “Running
is cheaper than therapy.” The endorphins released from any aerobic activity is
all good. Oh. And walk away from social media occasionally.

9. What is the issue nearest and dearest to
your heart that you would like others to know more about?

Vegfests. They change lives. I see it all the time. They are one-stop shopping
with riveting movies, videos, speakers, and tasty food that teach the masses in
one single day that any food can be veganized. Because of the great effort of
my publisher, I have been very lucky to have spoken at so many vegfests since
2011. My publisher does time-consuming work getting books shipped and setting
up and disassembling his booth. It is literally, backbreaking work. In his 70s,
he could easily retire. But he chooses not to and never will. He also spends a
lot of money to be a sponsor and to hopefully gets some of his authors invited
as speakers. He is one of the rare publishers who still pays our way to some
events if our books do well. He has helped so many authors in our movement get
their start. I hear from some in my audiences, “I don’t read books for recipes.
Can you do more videos? That’s how I get information now.” While I’ve always
done lots of videos, it makes me sad that books are fading in popularity. At a
vegfest I went to recently, not a single author was invited to speak. If we
don’t support authors who are usually not some eye candy, flash in the pan,
with an off-the-wall, outrageous presentation, some of our most powerful
messages won’t be heard. It takes so much time to write a book. As my publisher
says, writing is easy. It’s the selling that’s the hard part.Every publisher I know has a hard time
finding authors for this very reason. Vegfests are so important to organize and
attend. They are life-changing events. I volunteered at the Pay Per View booth
at our Tampa Bay Vegfest and was blown away by how many people started crying
and got it. At another vegfest I atteneded, I kept hearing, “I had no idea we
had this many vegan people in town.” I promote vegfests endlessly, especially
when I’m a speaker. I got introduced by the organizer of the San Diego Vegfest
at their inaugural year with, “I invited Ellen to to speak here because I
thought she had an entire staff doing social media. I was so shocked to find
out she does everything solo that had to meet her just for that.”

10. Please finish this sentence: “To me, being
vegan is…”

…the most important and powerful thing we can do as individuals to save the
planet. If you look at the numbers and science, fish are gone by 2050. Before
that, the plankton are gone. Plankton is the main food source for fish and our
main source of oxygen. As others have written, when fish are gone, we are gone.
We need to spend every waking moment communicating the science, research and
the simple solution: going vegan now.